Panda Bear and The West Boys--Part One
by NittaneyTwain
Summary: Amanda is forced to face a part of her life that she rarely discussed, when she and Lee are asked to investigate her half brothers...


Now, everyone knows who owns the show, the rights to the characters and etc. I'm not going to repeat it. And I don't have the same feelings about plagiarism. If you do it, I'd like credit, I'd also like to see it. Email me for more details…  
  
  
This takes place during the third season:  
  
Lee and Amanda have begun to flirt, almost openly. However, they are discovering more about each other, and Amanda lets it slip that she wasn't quite an only child, and that she grew up with rambunctious brothers.  
  
Lee smiled his most dashing smile at her. "Come on, you can tell me."  
  
Amanda scowled unconvincingly, and replied, bitterly, "I've got three older brothers, satisfied?" Lee's intense expression spoke volumes. He wanted more information, and his persistence was legendary. "Okay. They're named Frank, Don, and Wesley."  
  
Lee grimaced at the floor. Wesley West. What a name. "And you're their baby sister," he said, teasingly, "Little Amanda, in a gaggle of boys, growing up. Why didn't we ever know about them before?" Amanda scowled further for a few moments, and Lee wondered if he'd gone too far. Was there a secret about this family of hers?  
  
"They're from my father's first marriage. He was a lot older than mother at the time that they were married," she said softly, "So you wouldn't have noticed them too much in one of my security checks. They're half brothers, but we don't acknowledge that, because how can you be half a person of any type." A smile came to her face as she talked. "You're right though, Lee, I was their baby. Their Panda baby."  
  
Lee thought for a moment and grinned. "Your father's nickname for you, right?" Amanda nodded, her mind glimpsing back to the man who's smile held all of the comfort of the world. She looked up at Lee and his unintentional envy. She wished his memories weren't as brief…  
  
Amanda grinned. "It was Wes's idea. He's seven years older than I am. He was always trying to protect me," she said wistfully, almost sadly. Lee took notice of this as he'd seen such a look in his own eyes.  
  
"What would you need protection from?" Amanda looked lost, as if she didn't hear him and lees hands shook. There was something more desolate in her face than he'd ever wanted to see, or ever see again.   
  
Francine burst into the Q-bureau with an odd expression on her face. "We've got a meeting downstairs right now, Billy wants us all in on an investigation, and he's not taking no for an answer." She scowled unconsciously at Amanda, who smiled back at her sweetly. The situation with those two was now more of a grudging respect for each other, just masked under sarcasm and competitiveness, but Amanda wasn't helped by it. It still annoyed her.  
  
"Does this mean just for agents," she asked, "because, I do have some paperwork to catch up on." Francine's face became even more annoyed.  
  
"No, Billy specifically requested your presence, Amanda," she sighed. "So, will you come with me please, I don't need his wrath again. Apparently, Dr. Smyth is going to be there."  
  
"Oh, but that makes it even more interesting," Lee said, snidely, "Aren't we all in for a treat." Sighing, he stood up and walked to the door, following both a despondent Francine and Amanda out of the office. This wouldn't be a fun conversation at all.  
  
Amanda was thinking furiously as she walked. Billy was always including her in the cases that Lee worked, and normally that was flattering, but she was tired and wanted to retreat into suburbia for a little while. But, Billy's orders were Billy's orders and that's what was supposed to be done.  
  
Billy didn't want to believe in fate or karmic plans, but he was not sure of the rhyme and reason behind this latest case. It seemed just a few days before, the Joe King connection was being resolved, and Amanda was attempting to make sense of her life now, versus her life with her ex-husband, and now this case. This horrid case. Jeannie always believed that things happened for a reason, but this was affecting Amanda's life in a way from which he couldn't fathom.   
  
Amanda looked at Billy wearily and smiled at his obvious trepidation, as the group walked into the office and settled into the seating in front of Billy's desk. Whatever was on his desk was causing him obvious discomfort. He really had been worried for her during the situation with Joe, but Amanda knew she was all right. It was strange, stressful but ultimately good in the end. Her boys got their father back, and everyone was safe. As always, Lee saved the day. Amanda looked over at Lee on the couch, only to see his hazel eyes on her, something that was happening more and more frequently. She thought it might be something akin to flirtation, not giving credence to her innermost hopes and prayers.  
  
Francine had been very distracted by her own thoughts. The grapevine had registered Amanda's entry-level exams as equal to Scarecrows; score wise…with the exception of the gun usage. It was something that was spoken in hushed tones. That doesn't make sense, Francine thought, her scores being so high. She's just a housewife. She glared over at the woman, who was quietly looking at Lee with a secret smile, yet again. The schoolgirl crush was getting a bit old, but Lee still found it flattering, as he would. They didn't know how pathetic they looked.  
  
Lee didn't say a word as Amanda looked at him, and around the room. She was restless, and uneasy, and adorable. He'd gone a bit too far in the questioning about her brothers, at least this time around, but he knew he'd learn more about them in time. Just more time was needed. He was finding that Amanda King was a mystery all of her own, and he loved a good mystery, the more layered the better. It was funny, a few months, a couple of years ago, he would have laughed, (and did,) if anyone thought Amanda to be mysterious and or layered. Lee was beginning to realize that even he missed some finer points in life.  
  
"Ahem," Billy said, noticing that all three of his agents were lost in thought, "We've got a case here that I need all three of you involved in. And I don't want any arguments. This is per Dr. Smyth's orders."  
  
Amanda looked at Lee and Francine, and both looked bored. This speech was passé' to them, but to Amanda, it was vital. Billy noticed her eagerness with a grimace. She was not the one that he wanted to use in this situation, but as per Austin Smyth's orders, he was to do as he was told.   
  
The door suddenly opened and Dr. Smyth's presence was upon them, oily smile and all. Lee was visibly stiffening at the man's sight, and Francine looked highly uncomfortable at his presence. Billy pushed his cup of coffee away as if nauseated. Amanda strangely looked directly at Dr. Smyth, her eyes unflinching. Lee was confused; Amanda's uncharacteristic show of defiance was off putting, almost fearsome.  
  
Dr. Smyth looked at Amanda intently, as well, but he was less than comfortable with the survey. Something private was occurring between the pair, and no one understood it, but all were uncomfortable with it. Lee noticed that her expression was similar to the one she wore when she was being questioned about her brothers, but without the humor of her earlier time with him. Somehow that impressed him, as he was the one that she trusted…it was a gift that he didn't try to analyze. Having the trust of a woman such as this, Lee mused, had expanded his world by two continents.  
  
Suddenly, Dr. Smyth turned away and looked at Billy, seemingly shaken up by the expression on Mrs. King's face. "Have you filled them in yet?" Billy's nod indicated that he had not only seemed to please Smyth further, his smile becoming even more menacing. Only Amanda seemed to not notice, as Lee discovered she was focusing on the man again. "Good," he continued, "Well, it's a simple real estate case. Or is it. The construction of the Richmond Aeronautics plant is a major topic of discussion along the beltway. The plans for a new stealth plane are housed with the Richmond set. Or at least they were."  
  
"Oh, and after all of that, we finally hear the heart of the case?" Lee's impatience being legendary, no one seemed too become too startled by his outburst. Dr. Smyth looked moderately perturbed, but continued.  
  
"Yes, we do. You see, the members of this unfortunate situation have received notes pertaining to the whereabouts of the plans, and on physical inspection, they're missing from the place that everyone has thought they would be. Simple stuff, really," Smyth continued, "We wouldn't be involved if I hadn't happened to have a chat with our commander in chief. But, he's worried about this situation, this new aircraft was a big part of his last campaign, and he's elected us to be the ones to keep it safe."  
  
"Okay," Lee said, rudely, "that explains much. Why are WE here!" Amanda looked over at him, but there was such a tired expression on her face, that his further argument seemed futile. Something was definitely wrong with his partner, and for him, that was more important than Smyth's idiotic ramblings. Even Billy and Francine noticed something was wrong with Amanda, and their focus turned to her. Smyth noticed this and smiled, but the smile lacked his usual sardonic cruelty. In fact, if they'd been looking at him, they might have seen something akin to worry in his face.  
  
"You…the three of you will be placed in strategic positions within the company that is responsible for the design and execution of the bulding's construction. Scarecrow, you will be one of the workers on the ground, Billy, you will be a pit boss, Desmond, you will be one of the women in the offices, and Mrs. King, you will be the assistant to the company heads." This particular set of orders didn't sit well with Francine, who, although slightly worried about Amanda King, didn't like being relegated to the situation as a secretary, and Amanda as an assistant to what had to be one of the most powerful construction crews in all of D.C.  
  
"Sir, with no offense meant on Mrs. King's skills," Francine began, "I feel that she should not be given such a position with such weight and power. Mrs. King is still relatively inexperienced in the situations with such high placed organizations, and I feel that it would be more advantageous-" Smyth cut her off with a raised hand.  
  
"Save it Desmond. For although Mrs. King's skills are not in the technical sense of perfect, she's got one thing that this case needs," he said, his voice causing all to feel singed by its tone, "and that is an entry point."  
  
Lee was totally confused by now, and from the looks he received from Francine, he wasn't the only one, but Billy and Amanda seemed to understand the situation very clearly, as did the snickering Dr. Smyth. "What would Amanda have to do with this?" Lee's demand seemed to send Amanda further into embarrassment, and Billy into stony silence, all the while, Dr. Smyth was grinning.  
  
"The construction company responsible for the Richmond project," Amanda said, "is owned by three men. Francis Xavier, Donald Phillip, and Wesley James……West. My older brothers. Our in point is that my older brothers are in the middle of an international crisis." Suddenly, Amanda looked far too weary for this situation, and even Dr. Smyth was subdued in the face of her turmoil.  
  
SMK~---------SMK------SMK----------SMK--------SMK------SMK  
  
Lee was frustrated and furious at this turn of events. All of Amanda's brothers were involved in one case, and it seemed to be tearing her apart. She'd listened to Smyth's instructions with a calm, (an almost too calm,) demeanor, and then had walked out of the office without even a backwards glance. Lee asked Billy a few questions about the situation, but Billy hadn't been able to explain much beyond the case.  
  
"Scarecrow, all I know is what is in the folder. Amanda's brothers are part of a family owned construction firm which has handled many important jobs, the three boys are from her father's previous marriage and the situation seems to need her help," Billy exclaimed. "Like it or not, in this case, Amanda has the edge." This situation didn't sit well with Francine, but Lee's mind wasn't on who had the better positioning. The expression in Amanda's face as she'd looked at Dr. Smyth had more knowledge of the situation in it than Lee had wanted to believe. He needed her to answer some questions as well, and he headed off to the Q-bureau.  
  
Amanda sat with her head in her hands. The phone call from Wesley the night before hadn't been a joke. The boys were warning her to not be surprised if there was a government official questioning her in the next few days, but don't worry. Don't worry. iGood one, Wes,/i she thought, as she took a sip of piping hot coffee. iThe questioning government official happens to be the same girl you used to push on a swingset....but don't worry./i She was so engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't realize that Lee had walked into the office and was looking at her intently, until he'd cleared his throat.  
  
"That was a difficult situation back there," he said, softly, "I didn't realize that your brothers were going to be the topic of discussion back there."  
  
Amanda sighed. "I did. Wes called yesterday. Ever the protector, he tried to warn me of the government agents that might come to call on me, investigation into their work. He didn't know I'd be one of them."  
  
Lee sighed. He didn't understand the nature of family, outside of the people he worked with, but he knew that this was hurting one of his best friends. "I guess you're in a better position now. You can protect them from a lot of it. You don't think they had anything to do with the theft, do you?"  
  
Amanda sighed. "No. I don't. They're my family, and although we're not as close as we used to be--," she began, but Lee interrupted.  
  
"Why aren't you. You love family," he said. Amanda looked down at the floor and frowned.  
  
"Things with them disintegrated after my father's death. I was just out of college, getting ready for Phillip, living my life with Joe, and they...they had their own lives. I talk to Wes and Don sometimes, when they have a chance, but..," she began, "but, we aren't as close as we were when we were kids." Lee saw the sadness in her face with shock. She had never mentioned these people to him before, but suddenly, a new window into Amanda's life was opened, and Lee was scared for her.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. "This isn't something you'd ever want to do, under normal circumstances, I can see that. But, better you than anyone else, being the one to investigate their part in it."  
  
Amanda attempted a smile. "Do you mind telling Frank that, when you see him, because I'm sure that he's not going to be a real sweetheart about this situation," she warned.  
  
"He's the oldest?" Lee asked, looking at the packet of information that Billy had sent with him, "Francis Xavier. A former Navy Seal and Green Beret....that's pretty impressive. I wonder why he didn't try to join us."  
  
"His daughter. Amy," Amanda said, "my niece died when she was two, and Frank retired from all aspects of the military. He wasn't there...and he and his wife divorced soon afterward. Daddy died, and Frank took over the business. Construction. I don't think he had much of a choice about his life after all of that. We don't get along very much, Frank and I."  
  
"How could he not love you," Lee thought, "Everyone else does." Suddenly, Lee's face palled at the implications of that secret thought. He didn't know how to take that statement, eve if he'd not spoken it aloud.  
  
Amanda looked at his face curiously. Something was off with him too, and that was frightening. "Lee," she said, softly, seeing the nearly lost expression in his face. He looked back at her and grinned.  
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"I'm sorry. This isn't going to be easy." As she said that, Lee didn't know how to speak to her, so he walked over to where she was standing and put his arms around her, as if to shield her from a pain he couldn't even understand.  
  
Billy was facing Francine with a real need for antacid. She was furious, he could see it in the electric blue of her eyes. "Billy, even if she is their little sister, you know that this case has the potential to become a world crisis, because those plans are being sought by every terrorist organization, and every spy network in the world. That plane is the very cutting edge of technology! And we're entrusting a corner of that investigation to a housewife from Arlington?"  
  
"The same housewife, who happens to be related to the owners of the construction crew? Francine, that's a gold mine of a situation. It is a dangerous situation, but you know that it is the best situation to keep the closest association to these men on them at all times. Who better than their baby sister."  
  
"I don't have to like it," Francine groused.  
  
"Neither do I," Billy sighed. "But, we need to live with it...and so does Amanda."  
  
SMK-------------SMK---------SMK--------SMK-----------SMK  
  
Amanda was home, having had everyone of her coworkers look at her with a mixture of curiousity and pity. Frank's reputation in the military was now the talk of the Agency, and they were fearful of the situation, and the stigma had been attached to the case they were now dedicated to working. She was sitting in the kitchen, (the boys and her mother were at the movies,) just looking at her old photo album. Pictures of her father were bringing a smile to her face, as she remembered the Daddy who would dance with her in the middle of the floor, even in the worst of times. Frank, Don and Wes were in the pictures too. Don looked too much like their father to be believed. Don and Wes looked like their mother, unfortunately, but their spirits were much like Frank Sr. Quietly, Amanda flipped through the pages with smiles and held back tears as the pictures stopped featuring her father. That's when her tie with her "half" brothers began to come apart.   
  
Suddenly, the phone rang, and Amanda raced to it, answering it tensely. "Hello," she said.  
  
"Mandy-Bear," a husky, male voice said, "I know you're part of the undercover team. That you work for the Agency. That you've been doing so for three years."  
  
Amanda sighed. "How did you figure it out, Don," she asked. His tone was resigned, not angry, but she still was unnerved.  
  
"Frank's got security clearance," he replied, "and they had to break the news to us for the crew that was going in. I was surprised, Amanda, but I don't know what to tell you."  
  
Amanda looked at the album on the kitchen table and frowned. "You don't need to. I've read up on the case. There's a lot to look at, and you need to cooperate with the Agency, for your own good,"   
  
"We will," Don promised, "But, Frank isn't happy about the situation. He's even less happy about where you're working. Somehow, you've not mentioned that to us in the past three years."  
  
"You don't mention a place with governmental ties to a military strategist, even a retired one," she replied, "I also don't need to have my family know any more than they already do."  
  
Don laughed, "It can't be easy to lie to Dottie, so I can see why you'd hide the situation. But, are you safe?"  
  
Amanda smiled. Don was the sweetest man that she'd ever know, his worry wasn't in what she could do or what she couldn't do, but in how safe she was. "I've got a good partner," she said, thinking of Lee, and the feeling of his arms around her. "I've had some rough patches, but nothing that couldn't be saved. We've done quite well. I'm okay, Don. I'm not screwing up."  
  
"I didn't think you were. You've spent your entire life being better than anyone would give you credit for, little one," he replied. "We will make this situation work. Actually, I'll like having you work with us. I'll never understand why you didn't go to work with us anyway."  
  
  
"The baby sister syndrome. I had to be something other than someone's daughter or sister," she said. "Not like it worked, if I'm going to be working with you three now....it just took me a longer time than you wanted it to be."  
  
SMK--------SMK---------SMK---------SMK-------SMK  
  
The room was very elegant, with the subtle hints of burgundy and gold to make it seem like a palace instead of a home. The nearly bald gentleman on the couch was quietly surveying the garden when a greying man walked into the room, his movements gaining the older man's attention.  
  
"Martinez," the balding man said, "did you make sure to leave the points where the Agency representatives will notice?" The greying man nodded, and smiled.  
  
"I doubt that there will be any question as to where the blame in the theft will lie. I wonder how the West Boys can fare after this...," Martinez replied, "And, no, there would be no suspicion of your involvement, Mr. Canastigua."  
  
"I should say not. I think the plans will be most profitable to both of us, Martinez, so any deviation from the plan will be most detrimental for all involved," Canastigua said, softly, "so I intend to be informed of any deviation. Is that clear, Martinez?"  
  
"As expected, the agency has been contacted on this," Martinez replied. "In fact, they've assigned the Scarecrow to the situation, through the West Construction firm. They've assigned some rank outsider to the situation upstairs, though, a rookie. Obviously, they're not taking that situation too seriously, as none of us are. The West Boys are idiots, nothing to be worried about."  
  
"Nonetheless," Canastigua said, "If the Scarecrow is involved, then we should investigate his entire team. You never know about rank amateurs."  
  



End file.
